The Internet is an interesting thing. Blogging communities like LiveJournal seem to be doing more to bring together people in a personal way than anything I've seen on the 'net previously, such as newsgroups or forums.

They blog about their day-to-day lives, and syndication (like LJ "friends" pages) brings them all together in a single place, so one doesn't even have to go through the tedium of pulling down the Bookmarks menu to read the latest on what they're up to.

In a way, it's great — I've found a whole group of really fascinating people who share my interest in late-period clothing. Today, I "met" a lady who, in addition to costuming, is also a lutenist and a calligrapher (as am I).

However, it's a cruel dichotomy: despite bringing people with similar interests closer together online, it's frustrating because distance makes it impossible to actually hang out with these people in the real world. I'll probably never have the opportunity to play a lute duet with the lady mentioned above, as she lives several thousand kilometers away in England.

It's kind of weird situation to have a sense of familiarity with a person you've never met: to be genuinely happy for someone when she gets a job, and to feel genuine concern for her when she has a panic attack or a bout with depression, even though you don't even know what she looks like. And it's always fun to think that you know what a person's like from reading the words he writes or the pictures she posts, and then one entry totally undermines the assumptions that you've made (like a young, petite-looking woman turning out to be 5'10" and ex-Navy).

As long as I've been on the Internet, I don't think I'll ever cease to be fascinated by the way it continues to shape everyday life.